The Shadow and the Sunflower
by xxTemporaryGenius
Summary: He was the smart mouthed, quick witted shadow. She was the one who made him smile... the girl with the yellow hoodie and red rain boots. / (oneshot) (rated M for COARSE LANGUAGE)


**Ok, ahem, this is the first oneshot I have done which went beyond my word goal that I usually set for myself. Originally, it was set at 4 thousand. But the more I wrote, the more I felt compelled to just keep going. Alas, I have reached this point. This took me a day to write, so most of it is just off the top of my head. And I want to quickly add in that I really like the idea of Inojin and Himawari as a couple (when they're older). Though, having written this, I am kind of in love with ShikaHima.**

 **Some clarifications:** I don't know much about these characters, or what they are like, or what they are like interacting with each other... so my basis was that Shikadai is pretty much a Nara version of Temari. And Himawari takes after her beautiful grandmother, Kushina - shy, polite, but feisty and fiery tempered.

Also, this is **unedited** **–** **merely because I am tired and kind of sick of looking at this story. I just want it gone.**

 **As always,**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **The Shadow and the Sunflower**

 **Part l: Shikadai**

I've heard that irony is wasted on the stupid. Many of my classmates were stupid. It wasn't their fault, I know that – but I couldn't help the fact that my I.Q. made them feel insecure. Of course, I knew that I was an ironic enigma. People saw me only as the Nara genius – that was it – no more, no less. Simply the boy who was genius. What I didn't understand was how anyone with a last name such as mine could become a stereotype. I may be contradicting myself though. Nara – genius – pretty self-explanatory there. Maybe I should have just accepted my fate as being the only person to rectify problems. Because, of course, I _always_ had the answers.

Perhaps that was exactly the thinking that caused me to become so alienated from most people who attended the academy. But that was years ago. Though, even now, at age eighteen, I still wasn't quite sure how I had managed to let my old sensei intimidate me into coming back to the Academy.

I'll tell you one thing though – Aburame Sensei was rather scary when making diligent threats. Though, I didn't blame him. Having me all those years as a student would probably have driven most people insane, so I think he did pretty well for himself. Though, I couldn't understand why I had to be the one to come back to the Academy to teach a class. I was pretty sure there were much better qualified people to do said training – people who would have cared a great deal more than I did at the time. Many of the kids I graduated with were now all elite shinobi – including myself – they just had busier lives than I did. And I was fairly certain that Aburame had asked people such Chocho, Inojin, Sarada, Lee, heck, even Mitsuki before realising that his only option was me.

 _How bothersome,_ I thought as I walked through the front doors of my old school.

I didn't care too much. And I am really being honest here. That is my character. I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with people's bull shit. I have my own 'woes' and do you think I share them with the world – no. I could not have cared less that teenagers were throwing either their lunch or their kunai at each other as I walked through the halls. Long ago I had developed the ability to shut out the complaints of those around me because after a while, everything just became too much of an annoyance.

I was certainly happy that I did not have to deal with kids, the Academy or teachers anymore. I was a ninja of Konohagakure and when a mission arose, I would complete it without complaint and await my next assignment. I was content with being alone. No distractions, no promises to keep. I never had to live up to anyone's expectations – not even my own. I could shut the world out and never let it hurt me. Never let anyone betray me.

My parents worried. 'You're just going through a difficult time' my father would say. I probably was. But again, I didn't care. I didn't care that I saw everybody as nobodies. Don't confuse me with someone who feels every living being is beneath me. That wasn't the case at all. I saw myself on equal grounds as everyone – despite my intellect – I just couldn't have cared less about them. That was about to change though. My perception on everything and everyone. But in my head, an eighteen year old brain was not that incredible no matter my I.Q. or logic, or reasoning.

It was a Thursday. Actually no, it was a Friday. I decided to skip teaching classes for the third time that week. No one said a word. And why would they? It couldn't exactly be justified without someone losing their job, but still, no one raised an eyebrow. The Academy would just find a replacement for me and then lecture me later. I should probably have tried harder, but what was the point? Teaching a bunch of annoying genin ranks was rather bothersome.

I wished I could be well known for something – like a close friend of mine. The Hokage's son, Uzumaki Boruto, who vandalised the school, and almost burnt down the library during his second year at the academy. It was an accident of course, but he never had a consequent. No one wanted to be the one to turn the Hokage's kid in, and so they kept quiet about it, until the Nanadaime found out himself. Boruto came to school the next day with a black eye and a broken pride. In all fairness though, I knew that mark came from his younger sister when they were sparring. I only knew that because I fought with the winner. Boruto wasn't the winner.

I felt sorry for him. He was probably the only one I felt sorry for out of all the human beings I knew.

I watched as students walked into the cafeteria and begin their usual routine of lunch and weapons. I was thinking about disappearing to behind the buildings for a smoke when I saw the flash of color.

Yellow.

The girl wore an overly large, light yellow hoodie, with a shirt underneath that had frills at the bottom. Her hair was the color of midnight, and it flowed down her back before stopping at her hips with a slight curl. Her face was round, outlined by a wavy fringe and straight bangs, and two lines on both sides of her cheeks. She looked like a certain blonde Uzumaki boy who had those same lines on his face. I knew that as soon as she walked in, she would turn heads, but perhaps for the wrong reason.

And she did.

But for some reason I was more captivated by the sight of her yellow hoodie that was so large, it was brushing the ends of her fingertips. It made her ridiculous, childish, innocent – like she didn't belong in the Academy and needed to stop wearing her mother's clothing. She definitely stood out from most of the girls I knew – always wearing scandalous shirts or pants that showed off a little too much detail. It surprised me that most of the woman I grew up with were more interested in clothing than ninja training.

Her skirt was simple – pink and frilly – but simple, and it ended just below her knees. I was sure by then that it was definitely her dark stocking and red rain boots that were going to cause a scene – although, her entire attire was capable of doing that all on its own.

I had never seen anyone dressed as innocent as this girl did, yet her face showed maturity and a dignity that looked like it would withstand even the wildest storm. Was I impressed? I couldn't tell, but I was certainly interested in this girl. I scoffed with raised eyebrows and turned a sour glance towards her.

Apparently I wasn't the only one. This girl was killing herself with social embarrassment and I watched as many Academy students whispered and stared and snickered and rolled their eyes. I rolled my eyes too, but not at the girl, at the annoyingness of the teenagers. And it was none of my business anyway – the girl had no effect on me. I didn't care what she was dressed in and unlike the morons surrounding me, I wasn't about to start making comments.

I turned away and grabbed a pack of matches out of my pocket, shaking the packet. From the sound of it, I could tell there was only one left and I became rather cross with myself for not stocking up on my way to the Academy that morning. Mom had been nagging Dad to give up his Nicorette addiction for a while now, and he was beginning to listen. My cherished cigarettes were in short supply to begin with, but now that my father was giving up, there were even less to pinch. Sadly, this meant I had to be even more careful when taking them.

I closed my eyes, picked up my backpack and walked away. _What a drag,_ I thought with a sigh.

I heard a gasp and the sound of a body hitting the floor. I stopped for a split second. I could have walked away. It would have been much easier just to keep my eyes closed and walk away. But I didn't. And I can't tell exactly what it was that made me open my eyes to see the girl on the ground, but I did.

Behind her stood a lowlife who took pleasure from others misery – a bully if you would. It was courteous of him and his outstretched foot that the inky haired girl ended up on the floor. The kid couldn't have been older than sixteen and he stood proudly above her, with dark tanned skin and jade-green spiky hair. Everyone who was looking on went quiet. I think the rest of us would have been content with whispers and stares, but now this kid had gone and made things physical. Everyone was shocked, but nobody made a move to help her.

As for me, I just wondered if this girl was in the right place. In all fairness, we were ninjas-in-training, and his takedown of the girl had been quick and silent. I wondered if this girl was herself, a kunoichi. If she was, she wasn't very good.

The girl tucked her hair behind her left ear and then brushed her nose. She had a stern look in her brilliant blue eyes that didn't echo with rage, but with focus. She eyed him up and down, and then watched his feet carefully before trying to stand. She reached out slowly for the book she was holding before getting tripped. The tanned skin bully smirked and raised his foot again – ready to kick her back down. There was another gasp from the now gathered audience, who had circled around the pair – the aggressor and the target.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay on the ground," he snarled. "Why the fuck would you come here looking like a three year old. Grow up or get out."

 _Pathetic,_ I said to myself. I didn't particularly want to see the girl get hurt any more than this, but it wasn't my place to step in, and I wasn't about to become her knight in shining armour. I would have been smart about it and knocked his legs out from under him. I hoped the girl was smart, or at least, clever enough to keep quiet.

I came to realise that the girl was neither smart, nor clever, she was a genius.

Her clear blue, glistening eyes didn't look away and cower like I had thought – had hoped. Instead, she did something I found admirable – the new girl with the overly large yellow sweater and red rain boots looked him straight in the eyes.

"Really? You're picking on me because of what I'm wearing?" she asked with raised eyebrows and a great deal of emphasis in her voice. The boy's nostrils flared, but she wasn't finished. "You've interrupted my day because you don't like my outfit, and you think I am the pathetic one? I think that's lame, ya know, even for the likes of you. And if that's the best you've got, then I don't think I am the pitiful one here, ya know."

The boy stepped back, fists clenched. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

The girl blinked and studied his face before her lips flickered into an innocent smile. I held my breath without even realising it. That smile was strange... it was cheeky, unique, different.

"Uzumaki."

The frustrated look on the teenager turned to a confused scowl. "Huh?"

The girl smirked and mimicked his facial expressions. "Didn't you just ask me who I was? Uzumaki. My name is Uzumaki Himawari. Call me Hima-chan – that's what my friends call me, ya know."

 _Uzumaki… of course._ I knew it. That quirky audacity and the whole 'don't mess with me, ya know' made sense then. I think she had inherited her mother's strong will and her father's attitude. In some ways, she was very similar to her older brother.

Everyone knew the Nanadaime. But only those close to the Uzumaki family knew that Himawari left with her Aunt, Hyuuga Hanabi, after her mother was killed in action. Naruto was a good father, a kind person and he tried his best to keep his family together – or so my parents always told me. Himawari would have been nine when she left the village, and that was seven years ago. A few years later, Boruto, her brother and my best friend, joined the Anbu, and I rarely saw him anymore.

I think that was the turning point for the spikey haired kid. He lifted his foot and hurled a kick towards her. I saw a flicker of blue illuminate around it and knew he had infused his attack with chakra. Her eyes darted quickly and her hands followed. My eyes barely managed to keep up with her fast movements. Instead of landing the kick on her, the girl had moved her body so that she could pull his leg down to the ground. The impact was loud, and the chakra made the force even stronger, causing the ground to break apart a little. I didn't want to even imagine the damage that would have caused if it had of hit her.

In another swift motion, the girl was on her feet in front of the enraged teenager.

"Argh," the kid screamed and sprinted for her.

The Uzumaki girl let her right foot fall back a little until she was in a braced position. She raised her arms ready to defend herself from his oncoming attack. That is when I knew she was a trained ninja and not just a helpless girl in odd clothing. I reckon time slowed then. The whole dramatization kicked in and everything went into quarter speed.

He threw a punch, she blocked it with ease. He ran at her with full speed again and I thought the kid might actually knock the girl out. But she pulled her right leg out and hooked it around the back of his calves and in the same motion, slammed the palm of her hand into his chest.

He stumbled, and unable to gain his balance, fell to the floor. What I thought I just saw was the Hyuuga clan abilities, and I imagined all the muscles frozen in his body. But that wasn't true. The boy faltered to get up and then ran off. Indeed, I was confused – but only for a second. I was the famed intellect Nara child and I knew by looking at this girl and her calm smile that if she had wanted to harm him, she would have. I knew that she inherited both her parents gentle and fair nature.

The event was over. The dark haired Uzumaki grabbed her book off the floor with a huff and disappeared as the bell rung.

Instead of going to class, I too disappeared to the back of the building for my well needed smoke, all the while a proud smirk on my face.

.

X.x.X.x

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 **Part ll: Himawari**

It was a quiet night. Not a cloud was in sight and it left the stars to sparkle even brighter. A cool summer breeze drifted through the village – twisting its way around the buildings. It had been a long time since I had been in Konohagakure, and I wasn't as familiar with my surroundings as I had hoped. Of course, my stubbornness hadn't allowed my father or brother to escort me back to our house near the Hokage Mountain. And you would think that if I had of just followed the mountain, I would have found my house. I thought _that_ two and a half hours ago after leaving the gates of the academy. Now I was just pissed… and hungry… and really lost.

Now that I was thinking about it, the night was only becoming clearer because it was getting darker. And it was only getting darker because I had left the main city of the village. The atmosphere was no longer lit with the loudness of Friday night and houses with happy families sitting down to eat. I wasn't quite sure where I was, but I was beginning to grow uneasy. How was it that after all these years, I still didn't feel safe in my old home?

 _Home..._ I thought. Where exactly was that? Here? Or Sunagakure, with Aunt Hanabi and Uncle Konohamaru? All those years ago, Hanabi was sent on a mission for the Hyuuga to Suna, and she allowed me to come with her. Konohamaru (who followed her around like a puppy at the time) came as well. The mission took a few weeks to clear up in the desert country, and once it was done, Hanabi decided that she loved it more than Konoha. The Kage there offered her a position as a medical student and Konohamaru as a jonin team leader.

They decided to stay, and I who had found my new mother figure, wanted to live with them. I missed my father and brother greatly, but I saw them constantly. I wouldn't have moved away if it meant I would have disappeared off the face of the planet. I kept in touch with both of them and we visited each other frequently. My father told me of how my brother had joined Anbu. I didn't like it. But, moving away made me happy, so if that is what he needed to move past Mom's death, than I was okay with it… eventually.

My aunt eventually married her boyfriend, and I was so happy. Konohamaru was a good man, and he made Hanabi happy. They were both like my second parents. The Sarutobi man taught me all the jutsus he knew – most of which he had learnt from my father, and his father before him. He told me that in a way, Naruto was the closest thing to a brother he ever had. I was just happy that I was born with wind release and could be taught my grandfather's famous 'rasengan'.

Hanabi taught me everything about the Hyuuga clan, including how to use our most famous weapon – our eyes. She told me that because the bloodline wasn't kept pure when I was conceived, my eyes would never be pearly white like hers or Moms. But I didn't mind, I could still use the byakugan, and I loved that I had my father's brilliant blue - it was the only aspect of my physical appearance that didn't remind me of my mother.

The half-moon was high now, but it still didn't provide much light. I turned a corner, hoping to find a house or someone I could ask for directions, but was only met with an alleyway. I took a deep breath, clenched my fists and ushered myself into walking through it.

My eyes darted around the narrow brick walls which looked so eroded I was amazed that they were still standing. Something darted across the path at the end, but when I turned to look, the shadow was gone. _Just a stray cat,_ I kept telling myself. _Don't panic, just keep walking._ I hated myself for not carrying any weapons on me. I gave up my dangerous goods to the guys at the gate when I arrived earlier that morning. _Why hadn't I kept my kunai on me though… I could have easily snuck it past them._

Stopping, I allowed myself time to hear my surroundings. There was nothing but the crickets playing their music, and the wind whistling through the woods that surrounded this small backstreet. For extra reassurance, I brought my hands up, made a sign, and felt the familiar veins appear on my eyes. Immediately the alley turned from a mixture of dark greys and browns to simply an x-ray of black and white. I saw everything within my normal vision and then everything behind me.

Well, almost everything.

I whipped around, but I was too late.

"Uzumaki," I knew that voice. It belonged to that kid who decided to play douche bag during the lunch break. My first day back at the Academy and I was already getting bullied. It was really my fault though, I wasn't watching carefully enough. It would have been easy to see the boy being an asshole, but I was too busy focused on the Nara man. Shikadai seemed so dark and uninterested in the world – a completely different person from when I was younger. I wondered what he was still doing at the academy. Most people graduate when they were thirteen or so – but eighteen, highly doubtful.

I could tell he was already a jonin, like me, so maybe he was back teaching kids or something. I myself had only gone back to the academy to visit an old friend who had since become a teacher. I had hoped that it was only because he didn't recognise me that Nara man didn't step in. That or he knew I could handle myself.

I let my vision turn back to normal and was met with the smug look of the green haired boy. "Who would have thought I would find you all the way out here?" His tone was snarky. I didn't have time for another attack, I needed to get home. I took a step back, and then another, before turning around and walking away with a quick pace, hoping that all he wanted to do was taunt me.

 _He has been following me. Maybe you could ask him for directions…_ I half joked with myself. I came to realise that my jokes weren't funny.

"Heh, you aren't getting away from me that easily," he scoffed. "You owe me for the shit you pulled earlier, ya know." He added the last part on sarcastically and I almost felt my cheeks blush, almost. I couldn't help my verbal tick. It just happened, ya know.

I walked faster, trying not to think of all the worst possibilities that could come to exist very soon. The last thing I wanted was for my body to be found in an alleyway.

I felt a hand grab my shoulder, but before I could turn and retaliate, I was thrown against the bricks. My head pulsed and my vision was blotched with dots. I couldn't tell whether I was up or down. I felt the cool bricks under my hands and realised I needed to get my bearings, quickly.

But the teenager, who was much stronger than I was at that point, had the advantage, and he knew it. I felt rope wrap around my wrists and then they were up in the air. He had tied the rope to a pole that stuck out of the wall above my head. I tried to bring my arms back down, but the rope was too tight and only cut into my skin. "No," I managed to groan through the pain.

He pressed himself into my back and I could feel his hard member digging into me.

 _Oh God, please no._

The asshole grabbed my hair and pushed my face harder into the wall with one hand and massaged my hip roughly with the other. "Heh," he chuckled. His breath was almost sticky in my ear. "Like I said, you owe me. You embarrassed me today, so I am going to make you pay." I flinched away as his hot tongue made contact with my neck. His lick burnt my tender, pale skin.

I tried to kick him away, but he pushed my legs apart, and put more weight against me. He was crushing me against the wall. I closed my eyes but I would not cry; I would not give him that pleasure.

"Shigeru," he scoffed. I didn't understand at first. Not until he added, "My name is Shigeru Katsuro." He was mocking me. Telling people my name was something I was proud of. I was proud to be the daughter of the Hokage and Hyuuga clan, and I was proud to be an Uzumaki. And now, this guy was turning my pride into a mockery. "Katsuro is what my friends call me," he taunted, "and it is the name you will scream when I fuck you."

I went to scream, a plea for anyone around to help. But he took that away from me as well. He twisted my neck to the side and planted his lips over mine. His lips were rough, and his tongue salty, and with each kiss, he got harder. With each kiss I could feel him grind up against me in a slow rhythm.

Well, I wasn't going down without a fight. And if this man was going to have me right here and now in this passageway, I sure wasn't going to make it easy for him. I threw my head back, smacking it against his as hard as I could manage. I tried to pull my hands free of their bounds, but that was no use. Instead, I activated my bloodline limit and tried to predict his attacks.

"Bitch," he said, slamming my head against the wall. He bit down into my flesh and licked the blood before planting a forceful kiss back on my mouth. I could taste the iron in my blood and I tried to spit it out.

"Stop," I panted. My body was tiring. I could feel warm liquid trailing down my arms, staining my hoodie. My arms ached, my legs ached; I was losing this fight. I couldn't allow him to take me though. I couldn't allow him my innocence. It was not yet spent and I was not giving it away to the likes of him.

My vision was still using my byakugan, and I saw the blade slice through the air. It plunged into Katsuro's arm and he released his hold on me. I felt sweet, cool air fill my lungs.

"That's enough, Shigeru." A voice which did not belong to my attacker shouted from the above. I managed to lift my head to the roof of the building in time to see another figure jump down. It was a voice I knew from a long time ago.

When he and my brother would go off and play together.

I knew that voice – it was clear and strong and protective.

Shikadai.

.

X.x.X.x

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 **Part lll: Shikadai**

"Get the fuck away from her." I snarled, grabbing Shigeru's shirt and hauling him down the backstreet.

He got up, laughing, a mad look glistening in his eyes. Blades appeared in his hands and a sick grin appeared on his face.

"Make me, Nara," he spat.

 _Challenge accepted you bastard._

"You know what the Nara clan are most famous for?" I asked curiously.

I half expected him to get the answer right, it was rather obvious.

"Their intelligence," he jeered with a smirk. I couldn't help my eyebrows crossing together angrily. I wanted to punch that smile right off his face. "That's not correct?" he said with an annoyingly innocent chime. "Oh right, tending to deer might be it. No?"

 _How troublesome_ … _I really am going to have to kill you_.

After she left the Academy, I noticed the green haired shit following her. He kept his distance for a long time, obviously noticing that she was lost. He was just waiting for his time to pounce. But I lost their trail and I frantically searched for her, hoping that he hadn't hurt her. My raged flared when I saw what he was doing to her. I could feel my blood boil and before I knew what I was doing, a kunai was leaving my grasps and hurtling towards him.

Both intent and actions taken were one in the same. He didn't deserve to live.

The moon seemed to shine even brighter. The narrow alley was lit in silver light. I could see Himawari still tied to the wall behind me. I was so thankful I got here before he did something unforgivable and for her, unforgettable. I couldn't imagine how she was feeling – terrified, angry, furious, and humiliated. I told myself earlier that I wouldn't be her knight in shining armour, but now, I didn't ever want to let her out of my sight again.

A long shadow formed along the sides of the building, in front of me, and behind the tanned skin man. I couldn't help the smirk that spread on my lips. I knew this fight was over, and he was not going to win, not ever.

My hands came together and quickly formed hand seals. Dragon, tiger, rat. I had done the seal hundreds of times – my father had taught it to me when I was only six – along with many other jutsus potent to our clan's abilities. So when my shadow began to extend towards my opponent, I didn't glance down, no, I never broke my glare away from his cold, wide eyes.

He didn't even see it coming. It was always such a drag when they weren't paying attention to my attacks. It wasn't as fun when they couldn't defend themselves. Oh well. It was too late now. My shadow had reached him, wrapped itself around his body, and gripped his neck in a dark clutch. His eyes only grew wider when he realised what was happening to him.

"Shadows," he choked. I squeezed harder. It wouldn't take much, but I could end his life right now. No one would miss a lowlife like him. A nobody who only caused grief and pain. He was almost a shadow of society, only there but never useful. There was an irony that a shadow was going to be his demise.

I could choke him to death or snap his neck. I figured that choking would have given him a slow death - enough time to consider his pathetic existence and what little meaning it had on the world.

"Wait…" a brittle voice from behind coughed. She sounded desperate. I stopped, loosening my grip. I figured that maybe she wanted to be the one to end his life. "Don't…kill him."

Yet again, the Uzumaki girl continued to surprise me.

"What?" I asked confused, maybe a little too much anger in my voice.

"Please," she begged softly. I felt my shoulders drop and my breath ease. I was stuck. How, after what this prick put her though, could she possible want me to spare him? I couldn't figure it out, I couldn't figure her out. "Please don't kill him, Shikadai." That was the moment my heart melted; my walls came tumbling – something which I never expected to happen to me – ever.

Her face was full of sadness and hurt, yet she didn't want me to harm this kid. She was truly a unique, kind-hearted, selfless girl. I had not seen her for years, and yet, I felt the need to protect her, always.

I continued to watch her – my admiration growing even stronger. She told me not to kill him, that didn't mean I couldn't break a few limbs… or all of them. Instead of crushing his throat, I threw him up in the air, then grabbed him with my shadow and smashed him into the ground. The earth shattered and dust flew up in a blinding cloud.

Walking towards him gave me happiness (more than I am willing to admit). I watched as he tried to work his way out of the crater he had created with his body, trying to get away from me. He hadn't heard Himawari's words, and for all he knew, that was it for him. He begged. He sobbed, and he pled, like a coward – like the coward he was. I glared down at him before releasing the seal – my shadow returned to my normal, slender figure.

"Get up," I ordered him bitterly. "Get up!"

He got to his knees. I could see his shoulder was out of joint, blood trickled from his mouth, and he clutched an arm around his torso – so I hoped I had gotten a few broken ribs in there too.

I growled through gritted teeth, "You are to hand yourself in to the Police Force as a sexual offender. Do you understand?"

He glared at my feet for a long time before shaking his head in agreement.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" I shouted at him, hating to have repeated myself.

"Yes," he grovelled.

"Get out of my sight," I spat at him. He turned around, but I had a few more words to say to him. "Oh, I might not have killed you tonight, but don't think you are safe. When the Hokage finds out about what you did to _his_ daughter, do you really think he will let you live?"

The lime haired teenager scampered away into the night.

I put my focus on the Uzumaki girl.

"You killed him?" She asked as I cut the rope binding her wrists to a pole. There was a too much concern in her voice.

I shook my head gingerly. "I didn't. But once your father hears about this, I can't guarantee that boys safety."

Grabbing her hand, I dragged her out of the alleyway – something she complied with easily. I knew the direction of Naruto's house, and that was exactly where I was taking her.

When we reached a park not four blocks from the Kage Mountain, she managed to wriggle her way out of my grasp.

"Alright. I know where I am now. I can get home from here," she told me with eyes planted firmly on the grass.

I could understand her point of view, but I needed to inform her father of the events of the day. It occurred to me that two things could happen. The first is that I let her go home alone, and she tells him nothing. The second is that I go to the Nanadaime's house against her wishes and tell him.

"Let me walk you home, Himawari."

"So you remembered my name, huh?" She was fidgeting with her thumbs and the ends of her yellow hoodie. Rhetorical or not, I keep my mouth shut. "Thank you, Nara."

"Boruto would kill me if I ever let anything happen to you."

She smiled. Not a happy smile, but something that told me she was going to be okay – that she was strong enough to get past this night.

"No, really, thank you, ya know. If you hadn't come, he… he…" she choked on the words, tears filling her eyes. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around me. I stood frozen, unsure how to respond to her embrace .She buried her face in my black t-shirt. "Thank you so much."

"You should have let me kill him. A person will never change."

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a chance, ya know." Her tone was soft and quiet – something completely different from the young girl I once knew. Somehow those words struck home a little too hard. Would I never change? Would I always be this cold, dark, introverted person forever? In the end, it didn't matter. Whatever personality was required to keep her safe, I was content with.

"Goodnight," she sighed, turning around and walking away.

I followed her.

"Don't follow me."

I ignored her. I should have just let her walk away and then watched her from afar. But I after the night she had gone through, the least I could do was make sure she made it to the front door unharmed.

"Please go away."

I remained silent.

"Leave me alone, Nara."

I couldn't abandon her. In a calm voice, I told her, "I will make sure you get home."

Himawari's pace quickened (not that I blamed her though), but she remained silent of protest. She didn't say a word until she was standing on the front step of her house.

We stood awkwardly on the steps together. I was watching her intensely – her dark hair, her blue eyes, the whisker marks on her cheeks. Her skin glowed in the moonlight. I knew she could get passed this. The worst could have happened but it didn't, and I hoped she didn't allow herself to relive it over and over. Maybe one day, it could just be counted as a terrible experience in her younger days – but I highly doubted it.

"What?" She asked with a frown.

I dropped my gaze. "Go in."

The Uzumaki girl huffed, put a hand on the doorknob and raised an eyebrow – as if to show off every motion of her entering the doorway. She halted for a second and I made a gesture with my hand for her to keep moving inside. Himawari rolled her eyes.

"Shikadai Nara, get off my porch," she demanded with a strong voice. That was the girl I knew – the strong willed, fiery tempered Uzumaki.

"Hima, is that you?" A masculine voice echoed from inside the warmly lit house. I knew who it belonged to, and I wanted to disappear before the Hokage saw me.

I gave a quick bow.

And for the second time that day, I walked away from the strange girl with the yellow hoodie with a smirk on my face.

.

X.x.X.x

.

 **Part lV: Himawari**

Perched on the bough of my elm tree fifteen feet above the ground, I found myself wondering how a bird was never afraid of the branch breaking.

It occurred to me, as I sat there contemplating in my tree, which grew in the middle of a sunflower field, that a bird had wings. I know… it was the discovery of the century. But by the end of my ten minute recollection moment, I had come to the conclusion that the bird is not afraid to land somewhere, because it has trust in its wings.

I had to stop thinking about that metaphor though – it was making me remember how my mom used to tell me to always believe in myself.

Over two weeks had passed since my run in with Shigeru, and I had to admit, I was handling it pretty well. He stole my first kiss, but nothing more, and for that I was grateful for. I was lucky to be alive and unharmed, and that hope was the only thing that got me up in the morning.

Plus, when I told my father, he was furious. He made sure that the kid was locked away. Though it wasn't as bad as when my brother came home and saw the marks on my wrists. We all got into an argument that night about the situation, but I think it was good – it gave us an opportunity to talk as a family – something rare and greatly missed. Though, Boruto came one night and I overheard him tell my father "It's done". To anyone, that could have meant anything, but I knew that Boruto had killed my attacker. I didn't want to ever admit it, not even to myself, but it certainly made me feel better.

The sun beamed down and lit up the field around me. Luscious waves of green and yellow stretched as far as the eye could see. This was my place – my field of sunflowers. A warm breeze swept through the meadow, blowing the dewy leaves of the elm. I closed my eyes and welcomed the gust, swinging my legs happily under me - feeling the rough bark under my hands.

Sunflowers were my favourite flower for many reasons – they were bright, they didn't have an over intoxicating scent, they were the origin of my name; they were my favourite color – yellow. Sunflowers were the embodiment of happiness – the complete opposite of what I was going to look at when I opened my eyes.

There he was, again. The only enigmatic figure in the whole of my happy place. His back spikey hair was tied up like it always was – like it had always been. Like usual, his attire consisted of a dark outfit with a cream jacket over the top - perhaps the only item of clothing that made him look half normal.

Shikadai Nara, the man who always had an answer for everything but was either to lazy or didn't care enough to share it. He was the last person I expected to see in a field full of sunshine and flowers, but lately, he had a certain knack for surprising me. Oddly enough, and going against his cold persona, the Nara man had become my personal stalker. Actually, 'stalker' was a bit of an overstatement – though for the last fortnight, he had never left my side – my guardian angel.

My nose twitched as another breeze swayed the tree a little. Like the bird, I wasn't afraid of falling – not from this tree anyway. A short sigh escaped as green leaves floated on the wind above me, gliding softly to the verdant ground. I inhaled deeply, resting my hands behind my head and leaning back into the thick branch on which I was perched. Summer had always been my favourite season, and nothing grew in Suna like it did here – certainly not sunflowers – so I was enjoying my stay while I could. Though, my visit back to my old home had started out rather awful, I wasn't going to let that guy ruin my life, or my time with my father and brother – that would mean he had won – and I hated losing.

I squirmed uncomfortably – not because of the bark digging into my back – but because of the sharp teal eyes that were watching me like a hawk from below.

With my eyes still closed, I called out, "Go home, Nara."

"Let me walk you home and I will," he responded flatly.

I rolled my eyes – given, my eyelids were still closed – but you get the idea. I refused to look down at him. "I'm a jonin. And that line sounds more like you are trying to get lucky tonight than anything chivalry, ya know."

Shikadai scoffed, just as I knew he would, but the stubborn Nara was not giving up. "Just come down, Himawari."

I was tired of having this argument – the same one we had been having for days on end. Where I would disappear to my pace of solace and he would stalk me until I allowed him to walk me home.

With a weighted sigh, I sat up so that my legs dangled together off the sturdy bough. I rubbed my eyes frustrated. "What do you want, Nara?" I questioned down to him. By now, he was sitting in a crossed-leg position on the ground, his lazy stature leaning up against the trunk of the elm. Like me, he had his hands rested behind his head and he rolled it up to look at me – those quick-witted eyes piercing into me again. "I am quite capable of taking care of myself, ya know." I cringed mentally at my words. "I don't need your help."

I was a terrible liar, and he knew it just as well as I did. An eyebrow was raised curiously, with a slight hint of amusement hidden in his dark olive eyes. "Really?" he put, folding his arms in front of his chest. I detected sarcasm in his matter-of-fact tone, and I wasn't impressed. "You looked like you needed my help a few days ago, Miss Self-Sufficient."

I tried to brush of his taunt, I really did. "That's not fair, Nara. It was a miscounseled lapse of judgment on my part, ya know."

"Hn," he replied softly.

"Also," I said down to him, "you are forgetting that _he_ backed off eventually. And I haven't seen him at all."

Shikadai stood. " _He_ stopped only because I beat the shit out of him. And _he_ hasn't been seen since that day because your brother put an end to him."

He saw through my lies again. I decided to give in – accepting what I was trying to ignore. "I know," I replied quietly, my eyes dropping to my now fidgeting hands. "I guess I owe you big time, huh?"

"Being indebted to someone can be such a drag." He paused. "Do not feel obligated to me." There was a real sense of pride and protectiveness in his voice. I was beginning to feel somewhat grateful that he was my stalker.

"Still," I began, "you saved me like a hero from an olden story."

"Hero, huh?" I didn't have to look down to know he was smirking, but somehow, his voice still sounded sad.

"Actually, I don't think 'hero' really suits you, Nara. You are more like my guardian angel, ya know."

"Well that's good because if I was the hero… that would make you my damsel in distress – my princess in need of rescue." He smirked, and I said nothing – not giving in to his bait.

"Like I said, I could have handled my own." I paused, trying to think of what to say next. "I am glad that you didn't get hurt."

"Eh?" was the Nara man's response. "Maybe this love story will happen sooner than planned."

"Huh?" I took the bait.

"I wasn't aware that my princess was worried about me." A mocking smile flickered on his lips as he lit up a fag – using the bark of the tree to light his match.

My eyes narrowed. I considered how good my aim was and whether or not if I should take my boot off and through it at him. In all retrospect my aim was pretty good (even if I do say so myself). There wasn't much room for error, but taking my shoe off and throwing it required effort – something which I didn't have enough of on a Tuesday afternoon.

"So how was it a lapse of judgment on your part, Uzumaki?" Shikadai's question was blunt. I noted to myself that he used my last name, though I couldn't tell whether it was because he was being serious, or whether he was just turning my own phrasing against me. When I was younger, I called him 'older brother'. Referring to him as that now would just be weird, so I stuck with 'Nara'.

 _Older brother…_ _heh…_ I smiled as a memory flashed in my mind. How when my brother and I would always fight, Shikadai would be the one to sort the argument out. Or how he would babysit me if Boruto ever had to go away on a mission. He was always there for me when I younger, and I guess even now, nothing had changed. Maybe having him following me around for the past fortnight hadn't been so bad.

I shrugged his question off. "I should have asked for directions. I'm a high rank kunoichi – I should have used more common sense. Any normal person would have, ya know. And I put myself in danger by being in that place in the first place."

"You're not normal," he replied frankly. "And that is a very foolish way of looking at it."

My narrowed eyes turned into a glare. "Well pardon me, Nara."

He put his smoke out by flicking it to the ground. "The fact that you think the fault is yours is what is so bothersome." With that sentence still looming over me, he started climbing the elm tree.

 _My elm tree._

"Get the hell out of my tree, Nara. What do you think you're doing?" I growled at him, my fingernails digging into the bark.

Like his usual stubbornness, he paid me no mind and made his way up. I would have inched closer to the end of the branch, but I highly doubted it would support me as much as I would have wanted. Shikadai was graceful in his ascend – light on his feet and swift in his movements. He perched himself on my branch, taking in the view before swinging his legs either side of the thick bough. He nodded and I saw something shimmer in his murky green eyes – happiness.

"I can see why you like it up here, Sunflower Princess." He nodded assuredly. His voice sounded far too serious for me to take in the irony of the new nickname.

I couldn't help but wonder: _who are you?_

I was pissed at him, that was a given, but I was captivated in his shadowy aura. It occurred to me, as I watched an irritated expression spread across his oval face, that I knew nothing about this man. Sure, not much had changed physically – he still had the same lengthy black hair tied back in a spikey ponytail, the same smoky teal eyes, and the same razor-sharp expression that could cut diamond. But I hadn't grown up with this boy for a large majority of the important years – the personality shaping years. I didn't know the hardships he faced, the obstacles he had to overcome. I didn't know what made him tick, and as I observed him stare out, viewing the sun set under the flowers, I found myself desperately wanting to know more.

My approach to do that didn't go as expected. You see, I had this problem where my mouth would just do its own thing whilst my brain would scream at it to stop. It was a genetic problem that was passed down through all Uzumaki's. In fact, I was surprised it wasn't counted as a bloodline limit.

"You better have a good motive for infesting my domain, Shikadai Nara," I barked, wanting to slap the stupidly innocent look off his face. My nose twitched with annoyance.

The black haired man scoffed. "Your domain? Himawari, just because you are my 'Sunflower Princess' doesn't actually mean you can boss me around."

I was so cranky that I missed his use of ' _my'_ in the sentence. I huffed, giving a little kick in the air with more hostility than I was willing to admit.

"Really?" I asked in a fake, charismatic tone. " 'Cause the way I see it is that a fortnight ago, you barely knew who I was, and what, now I've become my bodyguard?" My voice was getting louder, though it wasn't intentional – just my good ol' Uzumaki genes screwing me over.

There was a silent moment, a warm breeze wafted between us, and the Nara man shifted in his place. He was pinning me down with his teal stare. "Your right," he put harshly. "Two weeks ago I barely gave you a second glance because you showed up out of the blue after almost a decade. Two weeks ago you were assaulted by a lowlife prick–"

I cut him off. "So we're back to this again. It's getting a little tedious, ya know." The hairs on the back of my neck were on end and I was ready to rip his head off.

He jumped in before I could say more. "Himawari, god only knows what would have happened if…" His voice was strong and clear, but not raised like mine.

"If what?" I demanded bleakly.

"If…" he tried again, "if I didn't find myself so infatuated with the new girl in a yellow hoodie and fucking red rain boots."

I pushed my intolerance for the man aside and shifted closer to him, ready to jab a rage filled finger into his face. There was no way I was going to let him get away that easy. "Listen here you eluding piece of–"

"Just hear me out. All I meant wa–." He held his hands up lazily, as though he was giving up. I wasn't ready for a ceasefire just yet.

"Would you quit interrupting me, Nara!"

"You're such a hypocrite," he shot back unenthusiastically.

"Fine." I held out my hands to him. "Go for it. I'll sit here… is that okay with you, Mr Honourable?"

The Nara's lips pressed together and he nodded, rubbing the dark stubble growing around his jawline. He looked at me with an amused look. "Well that was easy." Shikadai smirked.

"That is it. I'm going home," I uttered bitterly.

I went to jump – placing my weight onto a palm so that I could push off the branch quickly – but Shikadai caught hold of my wrist before I could launch down. I turned back around just as he pulled me in against him. His nose brushed up against mine and I immediately felt my face turn crimson. My heart started racing as he looked down at me with smoky eyes that seemed to echo sadness.

I pulled my hand away and at the same time, felt my foot slip off the branch. There is a moment in time – a very tiny fraction of a moment – where you are weightless and free. I knew birds weren't afraid of the branch breaking because they had wings to fly. I, of course, didn't have wings, and that split moment of floating in the air didn't feel like freedom. I also realised two things in that moment. The first: maybe humans shouldn't climb trees. And the second: my decline to the ground was seriously going to hurt.

This, however, didn't happen. Because whilst I was considering wingless humans and broken ribs, the Nara boy had grabbed hold of me, once again, and pulled me back to the bough. I opened my eyes slowly, feeling his strong grip on my arm and hearing my short, but rapid breaths.

"Once again, I have saved you, Sunflower Princess."

I struggled in his grip. "Yeah, well don't expect a 'thank you' this time. And let go of me."

He didn't, but he did loosen his grip.

I sighed, allowing my patience to return and the red to drain from my cheeks. "Honestly, Shikadai, why were you there _that_ night?"

He looked down and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Because I saw something dark inside that kid. And when he started stalking you, I had to make sure everything was okay – for old time sake. And when I saw what he was doing, something inside me just snapped."

My reply was deep and meaningful. "Oh." I cringed and tried to say something else. "It's all over now, so why can't things just go back to the way they were. You go back to you, and I go back to me, ya know."

"Is that what you want?"

I felt my eyebrows knit together as I thought about it. My answer, though it took its time, came as a shock. "No," I admitted softly. The confession hung in the air as we both watched the sun set under the meadow. The sky was a stunning array of orange and pink.

Shikadai broke the silence first. "Good, 'cause my life has been rather troublesome since you left." My heart was beating louder and faster every second. The more I thought about it, the more my cheeks turned red, and I didn't want that to happen while his green eyes were on me. "When are you going back to Suna?"

"I was actually thinking of sticking around here for a while."

"I didn't think you loved me that much."

"Don't get a big head, Nara. I want to spend some time with my dad and Boruto, ya know. And this is my home." I hadn't actually discussed my plans of coming back to Konoha with my father yet, but I was sure he would be thrilled to have me home. And I figured that Hanabi and Konohamaru would be happy to get rid of me. It was hard when Mom died, and moving away really helped me get passed everything. But I was at a point in my life where I wanted to be surrounded by as much friends and family as I could.

"Why do you come here every day, Himawari?"

The Nara's question threw me off guard. I could tell by his tone that he was serious – no more teasing – not even a glint of a smile on his face.

My eyes widened and I felt the air leave my lungs. I am pretty sure that was the point that everything started to click. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my mouth. "For the same reason you have been shadowing me for the last two weeks."

"And what do you figure that reason is, Sunflower Princess?" He rubbed his stubble again.

I thought about my response – something which usually went against my nature. I came to a conclusion.

"It reminds you of whom you were – who you are. Keeps you grounded, ya know," I replied with an earnest smile. Once again, there was a silence between us that was only broken by a warm gust of air – which rustled the elm and the leaves which clung to it. I wasn't certain, but I was pretty sure Shikadai was staring at me – though I refused to meet his gaze to confirm said theory. "What now, Nara?"

Before I knew it, I heard a whooshing sound and a soft thud, and his feet were planted on the ground fifteen feet below me. I gawked down at him, shocked at myself that I hadn't even noticed he'd jumped.

"Did you wanna go home?" He asked with indulgent eyes.

"Well, I thought we could maybe go out for dinner…" I was sounding far too awkward, "…or something." _Great... smooth moves, Hima._

Instead of commenting on my ineptness, Shikadai gave a mischievous grin. As he stood there in the growing shadow of the elm tree, looking up at me with those olive eyes – I found myself stunned. It was the first time in which I couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling.

He held out a hand to me. "How troublesome." He smiled happily – something which I was not used to. And I am pretty sure it was a first for him too.

I jumped down. This time, I could feel my wings take flight. I landed on the grass without making a noise and hesitated before taking his hand. But I did, and my cheeks burnt red as we walked away, hand in hand, from the elm tree.

The sky was getting darker, stars emerging, the moon rising.

I turned to him – watching his complacent look as we left the meadow. "Only on one condition, Nara."

He smiled. "And what is that, my Sunflower Princess?"

"You walk me home after."

 **END.**

* * *

 **So, hope you enjoyed. Thank you for sticking around for such a long oneshot... trust me it was not intentional.**

 **Like I said, it took me a day or so to write... so yep, I am dead... and hungry.**

 **I hope I have gotten characters sort of good. I really didn't know how to write them, but it was fun to make it up, ya know.**

 **A review or comment would make my day. Let me know if my effort has paid off. Even if you hated it... actually, if you hated it, then I am surprised you stuck around for 9 thousand words.**

 **Anyway, thank you to all my readers... I hope I did you guys proud.**


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